On the Bounce
by Knife Hand
Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU. Chapter 8 up
1. Chapter 1

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

A/N: This is an AU fic where instead the Wizarding World being parallel to 1990's England, it is parallel to The Federation from Starship Troopers Book. This has no bearing on the HP Events. Please note the Starship Troopers is based on the Book, not the movies or the Animated Series.

* * *

Harry walked out of the Burrow almost in a furious rage, the door swinging shut behind him only to be opened again by Hermione following him out.

"She was out of line." Hermione said.

"The whole Wizarding World thinks it." Harry replied. "How many times have we heard the rumour? Everyone expects that we will be good little puppets and just do what they expect. There's even that story you and Ron kissed down in the Chamber when you destroyed the Diadem."

"That is the second most disturbing thing I have ever heard." Hermione said.

"Do I want to know the most disturbing?" Harry asked.

"That one about Umbridge and Flitch…" Hermione began.

"Stop." Harry begged, miming gagging briefly. "I just can't believe Mrs Weasley. She lost one of her sons and all she can talk about is you marrying Ron and me marrying Ginny."

Hermione wrapped Harry up in one of her infamous hugs.

"So… what are you going to do?" Hermione asked. "You know that there is no place in the Wizarding World where you won't be recognised."

"Simple." Harry said. "I won't stay in the Wizarding World. I'm going to join the Federation."

"No." Hermione replied. "We're going to join the Federation. I have stuck with you so far; I am not abandoning you now."

* * *

Harry and Hermione walked into the large Federation recruitment centre in downtown London. There were a lot of people walking in and out of the centre, some in the uniforms of the various branches of the Federation while others were in civilian clothes.

They approached one of the recruitment desks, where an older man in a Mobile Infantry uniform with Sergeant stripes was sitting.

"Names?" The Sergeant asked.

"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger." Harry replied.

"ID and School Transcripts." The Sergeant said.

Harry and Hermione passed over their ID's and then looked at each other briefly, before Harry remembered something he had read in a flyer in Diagon Alley.

"We are M Class." Harry replied.

The Sergeant looked up at the pair of them for a moment before he picked up the phone.

"Major, we have two prospective recruits here claiming M Class status." The Sergeant said, then paused to listen. "Ok, sir. I'm at station six."

The Sergeant motioned the pair of them to some seats nearby. They sat there for a few minutes until a man in a Major's uniform approached. He looked younger than the Sergeant.

"You the two M Class?" The Major asked, getting nods from Harry and Hermione. "Follow me."

The Major lead them through the recruitment centre, into a back office where he closed the door.

"My name is Major Sabastian Abbott." The Major said. "You are claiming M Class status. Names; OWL and NEWT results, if you have them, and Hogwarts transcripts."

"My name is Harry Potter." Harry said, handing over his OWLs and Hogwarts Transcripts. "No NEWTs."

"I'm Hermione Granger. No NEWTs." Hermione added.

"Yes, well, considering your participation in the disturbances against the terrorist Tom Riddle and his supporters, a lack of NEWTs is no real impediment." Major Abbott replied. "They're not needed in any case."

"Major, may I ask a question?" Harry asked, getting a nod from the Major. "We had a classmate, in a different House but same year, called Hannah Abbott. Is she any relation?"

"She is my niece." The Major replied.

"Thank you, sir." Harry replied.

"It is standard procedure for M Class recruits to go through a series of aptitude tests, both testing your magical abilities and covering things that would be dealt with in Muggle School that we need to know for placement purposes. You do get to indicate your preferences. Here is some information on the different career paths available." The Major said. "Report back here tomorrow morning at nine am. And make sure to bring your Wands."

* * *

Two weeks of testing, both Magical and non-Magical, had been exhausting for both Harry and Hermione but they had persevered, the Federation putting them up at a nearby hotel during the testing phase. The testing was now complete and in front of Harry was the final hurdle… the service preference form.

There had been a lot of information available about the different careers available. The Navy had a lot of options, from Pilot to Gunnery officer. There were also R&D departments and Military Intelligence that Harry figured Hermione would be perfect for. Harry personally did not care for most of the choices. He was not one for the Navy, flying a Spaceship would be no comparison for flying on a broom and the weapons on a Spaceship were so… impersonal. He knew he did not have the brains to do Research and Development or Military Intelligence. After a lot of reviewing, he came to a simple conclusion. There were only two jobs he would prefer to do, and if he was not suited then her really did not care where he was put, so he put down his two preferences. Mobile Infantry and then Combat Engineers.

Once he finished he handed in the final paperwork and walked out to meet Hermione. They were to take their oaths in about an hour and they would find out what they would be doing the next day.

"So… how did it go?" Harry asked. "What did you put down? Starside R&D? Military Intelligence? Pilot?"

"I just put 'wherever Harry Potter goes'." Hermione replied.

"What?!" Harry asked aghast. "You could do anything. Why?"

"I told you, I am never going to abandon you." Hermione replied.

"I put down Mobile Infantry and Combat Engineers." Harry said. "That's it. Those were my only choices."

"Makes sense." Hermione replied, in her usual knowing tone. "I have known you for seven years, Harry. After everything we've been through, I though you would realise I know what you would pick."

"You still should have told me." Harry said.

"So, which one did you put first?" Hermione asked.

"Huh?" Harry said.

"Mobile Infantry or Combat Engineers?" Hermione reiterated. "Because with our combat record in the War, and our abilities, whichever you chose as your first pick will be where we are assigned."

"Mobile Infantry first, Combat Engineers second." Harry said.

"So, we are joining the Mobile Infantry." Hermione said. "Let's go take the oath."

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

A/N: If you want to post a review telling me everything that is wrong with the premise of this fic, please do so in a way I can respond to you, not anonymously. The 'Guest' who did so after the first chapter, your arguments are based on a number of false assumptions, which will be corrected when they become relevant to the story.

* * *

Hermione stretched surreptitiously in her seat as the transport was flying over Europe on the way to the Mobile Infantry Training Facility. Hermione looked across at Harry, who had finally fallen asleep, and the twelve other non-Magical MI Recruits from the UK on the transport. She had kind of lied to Harry when they had spoken after choosing their preferences. Well, not about knowing him so well, more about what she had put on her paperwork.

She had known Harry would choose Mobile Infantry so she had put that down as her only option, which was why she had asked the order of his preferences. The Major had, after they had been sworn in, tried to convince her to change her preference, to R&D or Intelligence Service, but she had stuck to her guns for the MI. She was not going to leave Harry, no matter what.

The transport began to descend for landing and the slight turbulence woke up Harry. The landing was relatively soft and they disembarked with the other recruits and were herded into one large formation make up of MI Recruits from all across Europe, made up of about two thousand recruits.

"My name is Career Senior Drill Sergeant Kresnov." The compact man at the front of the formation said with a very slight Russian accent. "We will be dividing you into Companies and Sections. You will live, train, eat and shower with your section. For some of you pampered children, fair warning, the sections are not gender segregated, so learn to deal with it. Anyone I hear about skipping out on showers will receive an… appropriate punishment."

With that the Kresnov began calling out names into each Company and Section, starting with First Company, Alpha section, and having about twenty names in each section.

"Third Company, Echo Section. Antinov, Renault, Potter, Sinclair, Swartz, Granger, Romanov, Garibaldi…"

Once the allocation of the recruits into their different Companies and Sections was finished they were dismissed to their section barracks under the auspices of their section Drill Instructors.

"I am Drill Instructor Jansen." Third Company, Echo Section's instructor said when they were in their barracks. "I am primarily responsible for your training. Also, like all of you, I am M Class. I am also the only M Class amongst the Instructors here."

That caused a stir amongst the recruits.

"Congratulations, you twenty are the entirety of the Magical Community that have signed up for Mobile Infantry, worldwide, this year." Jansen added.

"Isn't this breaking the Statute of Secrecy or something?" Swartz, a lanky man who had a distinct Brooklyn accent, asked.

"No." Jansen replied. "Officially the Federation neither knows of, nor recognises, the existence of Magicals. As far as the recruiters know, M Class means you were personally approached and encouraged to join by clandestine agents of the Federation. They think you were scouted. Most recruiters never encounter an M Class."

"What about once we graduate?" Hermione asked. "Surely in combat situations, Magic would get exposed. I can't see many Magicals not using a spell or two when under fire."

"True." Jansen replied. "Which is why when you graduate, if you make it, you will be assigned to one of the platoons in Fifth Battalion, Second MI Regiment. Fifth Battalion operates on a number of Assault Cruisers, which carry two Platoons each and each ship operates independently. Almost all M Class personnel, both MI and Navy, are assigned to Fifth Battalion and its Assault Cruisers. Should you wash out, all memory of Fifth Battalion will be obliviated."

Instructor Jansen dismissed them to get settled. Naturally Hermione and Harry grabbed bunks next to each other. The mix in Echo section was eleven women and nine men from all around the world, with Harry and Hermione being the only ones from England. There were a group of three women, Witches, who were constantly glancing over at Harry and Hermione and whispering amongst themselves.

"May as well get it over with." Harry said quietly to Hermione before raising his voice. "Is there something you three wish to say?"

This caused most of the recruits to stop and glance between the three Witches and Harry and Hermione. After a second one of the Witches straitened.

"You're them, aren't you?" the Witch asked with a French accent. "Hermione Granger and Harry Potter?"

After a second Harry and Hermione both, reluctantly, nodded. This caused a slight stir amongst the other recruits.

"Granger, did you really get perfect scores on all of your OWL's?" The French Witch asked. "Because no one has done that in like four hundred years."

"I heard Potter cast a corporeal Patronus when he was thirteen." One of the Wizards, with an Australian accent, on the other side of the room said.

"I heard Granger was offered her Mastery in four subjects at fifteen." A German Witch added.

"You never told me that." Harry whispered to Hermione.

"It's not true." Hermione replied as softly, blushing slightly. "It was only Transfiguration and Charms and it was sixth year, but I still would have needed to do a dissertation."

Ten more minutes the conversation went on regarding Harry and Hermione's achievements. There was no 'Boy Who Lived' talk, just recognition of things they had actually done. Harry put a stop to it in the end.

"Hey, enough." Harry said, silencing the room. "None of that matters here. We're all just recruits. We will rise and fall on our merits, not on what we have done before. Now I think we should get some sleep, because we begin training tomorrow."

* * *

Charlie Weasley walked into the chaos that was the Burrow. All his family were there, including his sister-in-law Fleur, and a few other important people in the post-war Magical Community, such as Minister Shacklebolt and Headmistress McGonagall. Everyone looked up at his entry, wondering if he had any news. It had been six months since Harry and Hermione had disappeared.

"I got some news." Charlie said. "You want the good news or the bad news?"

"Good news." Ginny said, hopefully.

"I know exactly where Harry and Hermione are. They are in Siberia." Charlie informed them. "I have the exact co-ordinates."

"That's brilliant." Ron said. "We can bring them home."

"That's the bad part." Charlie replied. "They are beyond our reach. Completely."

"I can only think of three ways that they would be completely out of our reach." Kingsley said.

"It's the worst of them." Charlie said.

"I don't get it." Molly said.

"They joined the Federation." Charlie explained. "MI Training facility."

"Shit." Arthur said, earning a shocked look from Molly.

"When are we getting them back?" Ron asked.

"We're not. That's what being 'out of our reach' means, Ron." Charlie said. "The Federation basically runs the Muggle World."

Ron and Ginny looked confused and Molly looked angry.

"Didn't you ever wonder why the Death Eaters did not raid the Muggle World more often or more destructively?" Kingsley asked. "Even at the height of his power, the Dark Lord only ever did one or two limited raids into the Muggle World every year. If the Federation ever wanted they could wipe out every Magical community in the world in a few days. As long as most of the damage was contained to the Magical World, they did not interfere."

"So what are we going to do?" Molly said. "How can we bring them home?"

"We do nothing." McGonagall said. "Does anyone know what the MI basic term of service is?"

"Eighteen months training, then two years of service." Bill said. "That assumes they don't quit, but from what I have heard every month that passes reduces the odds of them quitting, barring injury or death."

"Death?" Ron and Ginny said together.

"The training can be quite dangerous. And don't forget that the two years is the minimum term of service." Fleur said, her English having gotten better since the Tri-Wizard Tournament, mellowing her accent in the process. "After they finish training, at any time they can choose to go 'Career', which means they commit to twenty years of service."

Silence descended over the group. Most of the adults were contemplative, except Molly who was mad that her grand plan of one big happy family were being dashed. Ron and Ginny were just confused as to why Harry and Hermione were not coming back and that they could be gone for twenty years.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

* * *

The shower room for Third Company, Echo Section was filled with steam as Harry stripped off and walked in. Seven months of training down, and Echo Section was down from twenty to nine, five Wizards and four Witches, Harry and Hermione included. Of the eleven who had not made it this far, six had quit; two had died in training accidents and three had been injured enough that they got a Medical Discharge.

Walking through the rows of shower heads, passing the other Witches and Wizards, Harry noticed Hermione and walked over to her. At first it had been odd seeing Hermione and the other Witches naked in the showers but over time, and as exhaustion set in from the training, the embarrassment became less and less of an issue.

"How's the shoulder?" Harry asked as he turned on the water on the shower head right next to Hermione's.

"Still sore." Hermione replied.

Hermione has pulled her shoulder in training the day before. Knowing exactly where she had injured it, Harry began feel around Hermione's shoulder blade until he felt the knot of tensed muscles.

"Ready?" Harry asked, getting a nod from Hermione.

Holding onto her shoulder at the joint with one hand, Harry pressed his thumb hard against the knot of tensed muscle, causing Hermione to hiss in pain, and then after a minute he released and she sighed as the pain dissolved and the knot dissipated.

"Thanks." Hermione said, half breathless with pain and with relief evident in her voice.

Harry nodded and got back under his own shower and quickly washed up. The nine of them half trudged out of the showers and into their barracks. Training Instructor Jansen was waiting for them when they arrived, still damp and dressed only in towels, but they all snapped to attention when they saw him.

"At ease." Jansen said.

A few of them bent over to pick up dropped towels, but most simply kicked them towards their own bunk and walked naked to their lockers.

"I have some good news." Jansen said. "Tomorrow morning, you are to report to the Armoury and you will be issued with your training Powered Armour Suit. Get some shut-eye. Lights out in ten minutes."

This caused a cheer to run through the group before Jansen left. The Powered Armour had only been included in their training in the last month, and they had only gotten to wear it twice, briefly; if you did not include the six hours that it had taken to calibrate the Powered Armour to the user in the first place. Both of the previous times they had used Powered Armour had been learning how to walk and move in suits. As the Armour reacted to and amplified all of the motions its wearer performed, if you were not careful you could accidently put your arm through someone's chest. Luckily it was fairly easy to adjust to the increased power provided as the movements themselves were exactly the same. Harry had even seen one of the Instructors playing the piano in his Powered Armour, though things like that took a bit of practice, and the ability to play the piano when not in Powered Armour.

"So, Hermione…" Harry began, as he started to get dressed for bed. "How long do you think until you convince the Cadre into letting you be trained in full maintenance and repair of the Powered Armour?"

Like almost all of the recruits who had made it this far, M Class or not, Harry loved his Powered Armour. Hermione, though, took it to a whole different level. Not only did she love any time she got to wear it, but she was fascinated with how it worked, and why it did not short out around M Class personnel.

Under normal circumstances, one or two MI per Platoon, usually a Corporal, were in charge of Armour Maintenance of the Platoon's Powered Armour, however this was limited to routine maintenance and if the Armour needed more extensive repairs it either was repaired by a Navy Technician or a new suit was pulled from storage and configured to the relevant trooper, which took six hours for the Trooper being fitted and up to twenty-four man hours for the Troopers in charge of Armour Maintenance.

"Well…" Hermione said. "Another few months, I think. I convinced Instructor Jansen to give me the standard Armour Maintenance Manuals when we were fitted last month, and I have memorised them and am scheduled to take a test in a few days during down time. I pass the written and I get a chance to assist with a few fittings for Fourth Company, Tango Section, who are being fitted next week. I do well there I will be certified for MI Armour Maintenance Rating."

"You know," Tara, the American witch who bunked on Hermione's other side, said. "I don't think anyone has ever been Rated for Armour Maintenance before they even left Boot before."

"That's Hermione for you." Harry replied. "She makes over-achievers look like slackers."

"Hey!" Hermione said, mock sulking, causing everyone in the barracks to laugh good naturedly.

There was an old sentiment about Powered Armour amongst both Troopers and Recruits. It went thus: 'If I could find a suit of Powered Armour that lets me scratch between my shoulder blades, I would marry it'. Harry figured, if anyone could crack the answer to that critical design flaw, it would be Hermione. If she did, there would be a lot of Troopers sending her gift baskets and marrying their Armour.

* * *

Third Company, Echo Section stood at attention dressed in their Powered Armour. Each of the Recruits vaguely resembled big steel gorillas. The back of the head of the Powered Armour was 'overdeveloped' as that was where most of the computing power for the Armour was located and enough armour plating to protect both the electronics and the Trooper's head. The training Armour was unarmed, except for the Y Racks on the back and out over both shoulders. The Y Racks, which were grenade launchers that could cast grenades up to a hundred feet to each side ahead of the Trooper, were unloaded for the Recruits.

One of the most common phrases that the Instructors used to chide the Recruits into action was 'On the bounce'. This was not just a phrase, it was literally how the MI moved and one of the reasons why they were called Mobile Infantry instead of just plain Infantry, the other being the Orbital Drop Pods that were 'fired' out of Navy Starships. The Powered Armour was equipped with Jump Jets, which were able to allow a Trooper to move in bounding leaps at over a hundred kilometres an hour, jump clear over a three story building in single bound and survive the final stages of an orbital insertion 'drop', all with just a flex of the legs.

"Alright Recruits." Jansen said. "Today we are going to begin training with your Armour's Jump Jets. We are going to start slowly. Very slowly. We have already had two Recruits in Second Company die because they went to hard with their Jump Jets and broke their necks."

Harry was the first one of the Recruits to begin, using his Jets to jump forward a few feet and landing quite easily. After a moment Hermione copied him, but she did not land quite as easily as Harry did and had to take a half step to steady herself. The others began to cautiously test out their Jump Jets. The Recruits began to bounce around for a while, slowly getting the hang of the Jump Jets and how to control not just the strength of the Jets but also the angle so they could perform low and long jumps or high and short jumps.

"Form up!" Jansen ordered after a few hours.

One the M Class recruits had formed up; Jansen ran them through a series of formation movements. Leapfrog advance, column wheeling and flanking manoeuvres. These were all manoeuvers that the Recruits had been well trained in out of Powered Armour, and the focus was adapting the formations to the advanced capacities of the Powered Armour.

Over the next four hours, each Recruit moved back and forth over several hundred square kilometres of open Siberian Tundra, moving in 'extremely close' formation for an MI in Powered Armour, with more than two hundred meters between each Recruit.

Echo Section bounced back to the permanent Training Camp, where the entirety of First Company going through larger scale manoeuvres in the tundra just outside the Camp, but not in Powered Armour. Training was always very deliberate and well planned, where the Recruits were always trained in any task 'the old way', on foot without Powered Armour, and they had to prove that they were proficient in almost every aspect of military life and combat skills before the Powered Armour had ever been issued. Second and Third Companies had been the first to get their Power Armoured, with First and Fourth Companies just now being issued theirs.

After being helped out of their Powered Armour, Third Company, Echo Section made their way back to their barracks to shower and change before they were marched to one of the class rooms where they had to write a paper on the historical origin of the Pincer Manoeuvre and the vulnerabilities of the tactic given modern technology.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

* * *

"Tara, you're falling slightly behind the line." Harry ordered as he landed and then pushed off into another loping jump, his Jump Jets firing to propel him on his way.

"Copy." Tara's voice came through the radio.

Tara was four kilometres from Harry's position, out of visual range, and he was keeping track of her on his heads up display, as in two long bounces she made up the difference. It was two months since Echo Section had begun to seriously train with Powered Armour. Naturally, Hermione had successfully gotten her Armour Maintenance Rating, and the training had also progressed to the stage where the Instructors were assigning temporary Trainee Sergeants.

For Third Company, Echo Section, the Trainee Sergeant's role was usually take by either Harry or Hermione, though Danny West, the Australian Wizard who had mentioned Harry's Patronus on the first night, had been Trainee Sergeant three times.

Using the chin plate and the eye tracker to indicate the next waypoint and sent the co-ordinates to the rest of the Section. This exercise was a semi-simple orientation exercise, but each member of the squad was almost a kilometre from the next, and they were to navigate and co-ordinate using only the Powered Armour's tactical display with the terrain map and ID beacons. Harry was in charge so he was keeping a close eye on the entire Section, which is why he noticed one of the beacons stop moving.

"Echo Section, drop and freeze." Harry ordered, landing and dropping to one knee. "Marcus, report."

Harry saw the rest of the Section stop, but there was silence from Marcus. Options ran through Harry's head. This could be serious or it could be one of the Instructors numerous tests. Scanning the transponders, Harry noticed that Hermione was the closest to Marcus' position.

"Hermione, head due West to Marcus' position. Recon and report." Harry ordered.

"Copy." Hermione reported.

Harry waited as he tracked Hermione's beacon as she approached Marcus' position. Harry was slightly worried given he could not track the other Recruits in the Section's vitals like he could his own. An Officer's Command Powered Armour would track the vitals of all the Troopers under their command, but it was not a feature of a Trooper's Marauder Powered Armour, which was what he was using.

"Sergeant, I have reached Marcus' position." Hermione reported. "He landed on the entrance of some kind of burrow or den and took a tumble. His vitals are stable but it looks like he has at least a dislocated shoulder and possibly hip."

Harry nodded to himself, knowing that she was reading Marcus' vitals off a display on the back of his suit.

"Copy." Harry said. "Echo Lead to Command. We need medivac at the following co-ordinates."

Harry rattled off the co-ordinates of Marcus' location.

"Confirmed, Echo Lead." Instructor Jansen replied. "Retrieval is on the way to indicated co-ordinates. Full Section extraction. The exercise has been scrubbed."

"Rodger, Command." Harry said. "Echo Section, converge on Marcus' location for retrieval."

Echo Section converged on the extraction point, and the Retrieval Boat came down a dozen feet from Marcus' position.

"Tara, Hermione, grab Marcus." Harry ordered as the door to the Retrieval Boat opened.

Two MI in Powered Armour were able to, barely, carry a single disabled MI in Powered Armour. Harry watched the surrounding area as Tara and Hermione manhandled Marcus into the Boat and then let the other five enter before boarding himself.

Jansen was on the Retrieval Boat with a pair of Medics, who started working on Marcus. Jansen moved over to Harry's position.

"I was listening in on how you managed the exercise, Potter." Jansen said. "Well done. Calling drop and hold was a good call, as was sending in Granger to investigate. In Combat you would need to do it differently though."

With that, Jansen went over to supervise the Medics working on Marcus.

* * *

"How's Marcus?" Tara asked as Harry and Hermione walked back into the Echo Section's barracks.

"Dislocated Shoulder and Hip." Harry confirmed. "He won't be able to do much physical training for the next few weeks, but he'll recover."

"So what's the plan then?" Danny West asked.

"We'll be working on your Magical training." Instructor Jansen said, entering with Marcus in tow. "Luckily Recruit Swartz did not damage his Wand Arm. Usually this training comes later, but in the MI we make the best of any situation."

The next few hours were concentrated on testing if the Recruits could cast silently, which the majority of the could to one degree or another. Harry and Hermione, with their war experience, were much more advanced than the other Recruits in their silent casting. Most of the other Recruits could cast two or three spells silently but Harry and Hermione could cast over a dozen, mostly combat related spells.

"Potter, Granger, assist with the others." Jansen said, as he was helping Marcus and Janet Renault, a French Witch who was struggling with silent casting.

Harry and Hermione split the remaining five between them and began the process of teaching them to feel the flow of their Magic when they verbally cast the spell and then to recreate the process without verbalising the spell.

"This is as important as any of the physical drills or combat exercises." Jansen informed them. "Just as you are expected to maintain radio discipline, you are expected to cast silently. There are three spells you need to be able to cast silently or you won't graduate from Training. The Aegis Shield, Locomotor and Homenum Revelio. Who, besides Granger, can tell me what these three spells do and why they would be useful for an MI?"

"Well, the Locomotor can be used to move objects, so it could be helpful in a medivac of a Trooper in Armour." Marcus said, indicating to his arm in a sling. "It would reduce the weight of the Trooper's Powered Armour, though you would probably still need two Troopers for manoeuvring."

"The Aegis Shield, unlike other shield spells, protects against physical and coherent energy attacks rather than against traditional spell attacks." Tara said. "That would give an additional level of protection against bullets and some protection against lasers."

There was silence for a moment.

"Ok, Granger, give me why an MI would need Homenum Revelio." Jansen said.

"Homenum Revelio will reveal any human in the area, regardless of how well they are hidden. A variation of the spell, Sentiens Revelio, will reveal any sentient in the area, which would include any aliens we may encounter." Hermione explained. "Naturally this would be invaluable in city fighting or in a possible ambush situation."

"Correct. Protection, extraction and detection." Jansen said. "90% of the spells M Class MI cast are one of these 'Vital Three', as they are known."

"Wouldn't a blasting hex or an Incendio be more practical?" Janet Renault asked.

"Why?" Jansen asked. "A grenade is just as effective as a blasting hex, and has a bigger radius. Your standard issue flamer gets better range and duration that an average Incendio. Sure you can use offensive spells if you run out of ammo or are getting swarmed, but all the weapons you will be issued are specifically designed to deliver as much damage as possible and they won't cost you any energy. The 'Vital Three' can, in the right circumstances, be more effective at what they do than your equipment, while no offensive spell can do damage more efficiently than your weapons will. In fact, apart from a few Officers, the only M Class MI personnel outside of Fifth Battalion, Second MI Regiment are a small cadre of Scouts."

Harry and Hermione nodded at this while the rest of the Recruits looked slightly sceptical.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

* * *

Harry paused for a moment and took in the breathtaking mountain view in front of him, then the wind caressed his naked body and he shivered before he adjusted his grip on the improvised spear he had sharpened on a sharp rock and began to make his way down the hillside. There was only a month left of the training left and this was one of the final tests, and all the remaining Recruits had been deposited sixty-five kilometres from the camp in virgin mountain territory, naked and without equipment (including Wands), and were given a week to get back to camp.

At the twelve-month mark, the training had moved from the Siberian Tundra into the mountains, and neither Marcus Swartz nor Janet Renault had made it to the camp change. Marcus had never really recovered from his shoulder and hip injury and had been given a medical discharge, while Janet Renault had quit thanks to her inability adapt to the silent casting requirement.

The mountain training had been going on for four months, teaching them all how to operate in mountainous terrain both in and out of Armour. They had also started doing Training Drops from a Navy Ship in orbit as a full Regiment, sometimes back onto their old training grounds on the Tundra and others into the new mountainous terrain, with Harry and Hermione having been trailed as Third Company Commander and Company XO on several occasions, but by no means had they dominated the positions.

At the start of the survival test, Echo Section was down to four Recruits. Harry, Hermione, Tara Mclay and Danny West. Of the other three, one Wizard died in a fall during their mountain climbing lessons; the Witch refused to get into her capsule for a Drop, despite having successfully made several drops before; and the other Wizard had collapsed with no warning during one of the combat exercises and earned himself a medical discharge. Just like Third Company, Echo Section had been reduced from twenty to four, the entire Boot Regiment had been reduced from around two thousand to around a hundred and fifty.

Reaching the bottom of the little valley, Harry turned slightly south of west, even though the camp was slightly north of west from his location. It was the second day of the trial and Harry was only twelve kilometres from where he had been dropped of the day before. The night before he had hunkered down under a ledge and shivered through the night.

Despite the gnawing hunger, Harry kept walking trying to ignore the chirping of insects, until at around midday the insects suddenly went completely silent. Harry immediately went on guard with his spear held ready. A large cat burst out of the bush heading directly for Harry. As he braced for the cat's attack, the cat was hit in the shoulder by a flying rock which came from Harry's left which slowed the cat enough for Harry to thrust his spear into the cat's neck and step out of its path.

Harry made sure to keep a bit of distance from the downed cat as it clawed at the ground in its death throws. Hermione came out of the bushes where the rock had been thrown from. Even though he had seen her just the day before, seeing Hermione walking out of the bush was like he had not seen her for months. She ran her hand through her short hair, something that still seemed a bit odd after almost a year and a half, as she approached.

Hermione proceeded to build a fire and light it, with a lot of effort, with a crudely made fire bow as Harry skinned and butchered the cat with a sharp rock. After cooking and eating their fill of the cat, they wrapped the remaining meat up in sheets of bark from a nearby tree, with the hide wrapped around them. That afternoon they made decent time for a few hours towards the camp until the snow started to fall, at first it was a light dusting so they continued but soon it got heavier and began to obscure the visibility.

Harry was the first one to spot the small hollow that was formed by a fallen tree which had a depression underneath, which had been hollowed out by flowing meltwater some previous spring. They had to dig out the accumulated snow that had settled in the hollow, but they used the snow to build up a semi packed 'wind break' on the exposed side as they settled into the depression, just barely large enough for them both to squeeze in.

As they were stuck in their little hollow for the duration of the snowfall, which made it dark enough that they could not do any precision work, like making makeshift clothes out of the Cat's skin, they fell back on the age old Solder's pastime… sleep. As Hermione snuggled into Harry's front, in order to share body heat, for a moment he was slightly grateful that the MI had cut her hair and it had only grown out some, barely reaching her shoulders and usually kept in a loose ponytail, because if she had her old wild mane of hair he would have choked to death on it. The settling into sleeping caused an unexpected shift and 'little Harry' ended up in the crack of Hermione's ass, not penetrating anything just 'nestled' in there. Slightly embarrassed at the involuntary re-arrangement, Harry tried to shift his position, but Hermione simply touched his arm.

"Don't." she said quietly. "It feels good, and flattering."

Harry remained still and tried not to think about anything arousing, and that was monumentally difficult, until he fell asleep from exhaustion. When he awoke the following morning, Hermione was not snuggled up to him. Stepping out of the hollow, Harry saw Hermione with a sharp rock finishing off cutting up the Cat's pelt into a pair of loincloths, a chest wrap for her and two pair of moccasins. After a meal of cold, cooked cat meat and dressing in their new makeshift clothes, they moved out.

It took them another three days, trying to keep to the valleys as much as possible and eating the remainder of the cat meat and some berries they found along the way. In an odd kind of way, it reminded Harry of the Horcrux Hunt, particularly the later part of the Hunt after Ron had left. Several times, for a few hours at a time, the two of them started to chat and joke as they walked, but soon enough the scars from the end of the War bore down on them and they would fall into silence.

When they arrived at the camp, there were only two Recruits who had arrived before them and it was only by under an hour. Of the next two days all of remaining Recruits returned, with Tara Mclay returning several hours after Harry and Hermione and Danny West returning the next morning.

* * *

Harry and Hermione stood on the road side with their kitbags, both dressed in their MI uniforms as newly minted Privates. They had a few day's leave between graduating from Boot Camp and having to report to their shuttle to their Platoon, both of them having been assigned to the same Platoon.

After the Alpine Survival Test there were a few more exercises and then the 'final exam' which was a Drop onto the Moon, where they were launched out of the Launch Tubes at three-hundred feet and they had to land with nothing but their Jump Jets.

"You ready for this?" Hermione asked, looking across at Harry.

"Rather be back in those mountains naked." Harry replied. "Come on, let's get this over with."

With Hermione's parents in Australia with no memory of her, and Harry having no desire to ever see the Dursleys again, this was the only family they had left. Approaching the house, and knocked on the door of the Burrow. A moment later the door opened to reveal Fleur.

"Arry! Mione!" Fleur said with delight, giving them each a hug in turn. "Come in."

They waked into the Burrow and found the entire Weasley Clan, along with Luna Lovegood. Luna had been staying with the Weasleys since the end of the war as her Father had been killed prior to the Battle of Hogwarts. It was Sunday, and almost lunchtime, so they had all come for the weekly Weasley Lunch. Ron and Ginny both jumped up when they saw the new arrivals, then stopped as they really looked at them, the uniforms; their posture and their kit bags. Fleur went back to her place besides Bill, with Charlie also on the same couch. Luna smiled at them from across the room. Percy and his wife, Penelope, were over next to George and Angelina. Arthur and Molly were standing by the door to the kitchen.

While Ginny and Ron stood stunned, Luna pushed past and hugged both Harry and Hermione at the same time.

"I missed you." Luna said. "When are you shipping out?"

"Shipping out?" Penelope asked.

"They have finished Basic Training and have a few days before they ship out to their unit." Charlie replied. "So, you two posted together?"

Harry and Hermione both nodded together, relaxing into parade rest.

"We have forty-eight hours." Hermione said.

The group moved to the massive Weasley Dining Table and enough food was brought out to feed a squad of MI, and most of those present tried to eat like Troopers, only Ron, who always ate that much, Harry and Hermione, who were Troopers, actually managed to eat that much. Talk went back and forth amongst the Weasley Clan but Harry, Hermione and Luna were mostly silent. Ron was at the Auror Academy and Ginny was in the reserve grade team for the Hollyhead Harpies. The rest were still continuing with what they had been doing before Harry and Hermione had joined up. Percy, Penny and Arthur at the Ministry; Charlie at the Dragon Reserve; Bill and Fleur at Gringotts and George running Weasley Wizarding Wheezes with Angelina.

"Neville joined up six months ago." Luna said in a lull in the conversation. "I am considering joining up too."

The Weasleys went silent at this comment. The topic of the Federation was… touchy amongst the redheads.

"Which service did he choose?" Hermione asked.

"He went to the Combat Engineers." Luna replied. "I was thinking R&D or Intel."

"Good luck." Harry said. "We can always use good R&D or Intel people, if you can cut it."

"Combat Engineers seems a good fit for Neville." Hermione added. "He did not have the disposition for the MI, but he has the guts and work ethic that would do him well in the Combat Engineers."

Harry and Hermione spent most of the rest of their leave chatting with Luna, letting her know that Federal Service was not something to undertake lightly and there was a real possibility of debilitating injury or death, though it was less for R&D or Intel personnel than for MI any Federal Service was potentially dangerous.

When Harry and Hermione reported to the Federal Recruiting Station in London two days later, where their shuttle was to depart from, they were joined by Luna. The same MI Recruiting Sergeant that had been there the day Harry and Hermione had signed up was sitting behind the recruiting desk.

"Sergeant." Harry said as the approached.

"Potter and Granger, right?" The Sergeant asked. "Looks like you made it through Boot, Privates."

"We're reporting for deployment, but we have a friend who wants to join up." Hermione said.

"My name is Luna Lovegood." Luna said, then remembered something Harry had said. "I am M Class."

The Sergeant looked up at Harry and Hermione with a slight frown.

"You know; I've been Recruiting Sergeant for almost ten years. You two were the first M Class to come through here in that time, and now Miss Lovegood is the fifth, not including you two, in the last eighteen months."

Harry and Hermione just shrugged. They left Luna when Major Abbott arrived to escort her for her interviews and testing, moving off to the Shuttle Departure area to await their shuttle.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

* * *

There were twenty newly minted MI Privates on the shuttle with Harry and Hermione as it boosted from the London Federation Shuttleport, it being the main orbital Shuttleport in western Europe, with another three shuttles in the 'convoy'. Despite being American and Australian, Tara Maclay and Danny West were aboard having decided to spend their short leave in London rather than going home. All the new Privates were dressed in Duty Uniforms with the kit bags under their seats only containing basic gear.

The acceleration out of the Earth's atmosphere pushed the troopers into their seats until the shuttle reached its cruising velocity. After ten minutes Harry nudged Hermione and pointed out the window. It was only a twenty-minute trip to Moon, and while they had made the trip before for their Final Exam, it had been inside a Starship, which had started in Earth orbit. The powdery white of the Moon's surface was how they remembered it but they had not seen Luna Spacedock before. A massive space station, like a spinning ring in the Moon's orbit, with a dozen berths for Spaceships to dock along the outside of the ring and two spindly looking frameworks on the inside of the ring, somehow both connected and disconnected from the station, where the Starships were constructed.

There were four Starships currently berthed at Luna Spacedock. Two were 'Courier' vessels, smallish but fast vessels designed to take troops or cargo to various locations quickly and as innocuously as possible as they were light on weaponry. One was an Assault Cruiser, a Troop Transport designed to carry two MI Platoons into battle, with the distinctive row of launch tubes along the sides of the Hull for MI Drop Pods, and the 'blisters' of several weapons systems interrupting the smooth lines of her Hull. The fourth was a massive Dreadnaught, a Navy Ship of the Line that bristled with more weapons than Harry had thought you could fit on a Ship but had no MI contingent on-board.

In the Shipyard portion of the station two ships were under construction; one barley more than the first few sections of the ships skeleton and the other half completed but Harry could not determine what it was going to be, by the size though it was going to be either a Ship of the Line or one of the large Regimental Transports that the Navy preferred to transport Troopers in.

In the Navy there were three broad classes of vessels. Escorts, Trooper Transports and Capital Ships, aka Ships of the Line. Escorts were fast, agile and well armed, good for reconnaissance missions and escorting Couriers or civilian ships. Troop Transports did what the name implied, getting Troopers from one place to another. With the exception of the fat and lightly armed Couriers, most troop transports had significant firepower in order to deal with enemy interceptors or other ships in order to deliver their MI cargo to and from their operating zones and to provide, if necessary, orbital fire support to MI on the ground. These 'Combat Troop Transports' ranged in size from transporting single Platoons all the way up to Regimental Transports.

To many Navy personnel the Capital Ships were the 'Real Navy'. They were the ones that stood 'toe to toe' with the enemy in space and, so the Navy claimed, had enough firepower to send anyone else packing. Like wet Navy Battleships of old they had thick armour and as many weapons as could be crammed into their hulls.

After the shuttle docked there was a station hand there to direct the transferring personnel to their different assignments or transports. The four M Class Troopers were all assigned to the Assault Cruiser that was docked at the station. They arrived at the tunnel to the Assault Cruiser where a Navy Crewman was waiting to check their Orders and direct them to Trooper country.

They were met in Trooper country by a Platoon Sergeant who led the four new Troopers to a meeting with the two Lieutenants and the other Platoon Sergeant who were waiting to greet them. One of the Lieutenants, a Witch, stepped forward.

"I am Lieutenant Wildman." The Witch announced. "Welcome to the Avalon. I command 'The Wildlings', in joint operations I am Senior. Potter and Granger you'll be with The Wildlings."

Wildman stepped back and the male Lieutenant stepped forward.

"I'm Lieutenant Meeker, in command of 'The Magi'." The Lieutenant said. "Maclay and West will be in my Platoon."

Meeker stepped back and Wildman stepped forward again.

"I always want to make one thing perfectly clear to all new Privates, we do things a certain way in Fifth Battalion and we do it for a reason." Wildman announced. "The biggest question that new Privates to the Fifth ask is about the use of Magic in Combat and why we restrict it to the Vital Three. As you were told in Training, you Weapons and Armour are more effective than most spells. As for Transportation, we have tried it all and it was a disaster. We dropped a beacon as a Portkey destination. Due to the relative movement of both the Planet and the Starship, half the squad stayed on the ship, half arrived at the beacon. Unfortunately, the half that arrived was almost all torsos. One Lieutenant ordered his entire Platoon to Apperate onto his beacon and they all materialised inside each other and died within two minutes from blood poisoning."

Tara and Danny went a bit pale at the announcement but Harry and Hermione simply nodded slightly, their experience telling them blind jumps into combat was a bad idea. After letting the message sink in, Meeker and his Sergeant let Tara and Danny off and Wildman turned to face Harry and Hermione.

"I have received your training records from Sergeant Jansen, as well as your Pre-Enlistment records, official and unofficial, from some contacts I have back home." Wildman said. "Granger, getting your MI Armour Maintenance Rating while still in Boot is impressive, so I'm assigning you to Corporal McGonagall in Maintenance as her assistant. I believe you know her Great Aunt. Also when not in combat, two shifts a week you will spend with the Navy Armourer to learn Full Repair on the Powered Armour. Potter, apparently your field meals were better than anything Jansen had eaten since he joined, so you will be our Cook."

Harry looked over at Hermione who, while standing still at parade rest, still managed to give the impression that she was bouncing with joy.

"Potter will be in Second Squad and Granger, you will be in Sixth Squad. Platoon Sergeant Skinner will show you to your bunks. Welcome to The Wildlings." Wildman said, dismissing them.

Sergeant Skinner showed them through the narrow corridors to their bunks. In the tight confines of an Assault Cruiser, there were no large bunk rooms that could house all the Troopers in a Platoon, or even a Squad, instead for structural integrity reasons as much as space constraints, the Troopers were housed in small rooms that was just barely big enough for two troopers and their kit (not including their Powered Armour and weapons which were stored in the Armoury). It tuned out Harry and Hermione were assigned to the same room, though it was two weeks into the outbound trip when they found out why, and it was not just because they were the only new Privates in the Platoon.

Harry had taken to the Assault Cruiser's kitchen for the Wildlings, each of the two Platoons getting their own Mess and Kitchen, and his first meal was greeted with a round of applause. The previous cook had been the best in the Platoon but he was the best of a poor lot of cooks. Some Troopers had been requesting field rations instead. It was in the Mess that Harry found out why he and Hermione had their own room. For the first time in almost five years The Wildlings and The Magi were at full strength, and the new Privates had been the last arrivals so had been bunked together.

According to Scuttlebutt, an entire Assault Cruiser of Fifth Battalion had been 'decommissioned', with the two MI Platoons being split up between the most depleted of the other Fifth Battalion Platoons, and the Navy Crew spit up as well. The Assault Cruiser itself would be 'recommissioned' in a month or so to transport 'Regular' MI Platoons with a 'Regular' Navy Crew once all 'M-Class' data was wiped from its records. While the Officers and Senior NCO's were silent on why The Wildlings and The Magi were brought up to full strength, unlike the seventy percent of some other Fifth Battalion Platoons, the more experienced Troopers thought it was a sure sign that the two Platoons were going to be participating in either a dangerous solo operation or a major battle with 'Regular' MI forces.

Hermione confirmed that some serious combat was on the books based on how busy she was in the Armoury with Corporal Alyssa McGonagall, working such long hours that Harry would often bring them their meals to the Armoury after everyone else had eaten and sat with them as they tried to eat and work at the same time.

The only time, apart from the occasional Watch, when the two Platoons interacted with each other was in the Gym, using a mild unit rivalry as motivation for hand to hand combat training. It was in the gym, with Harry, Hermione, Tara and Danny standing together to watch a sparring session, when the two Lieutenants and two Platoon Sergeants entered and informed the Troopers that the Avalon would reach the location of their next Drop in five days, with briefings and hypno-training to begin the next morning. That basically ended the sparing match and everyone began to drift back to their own Platoon country to prepare.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

* * *

Hermione shrugged her shoulders in her Powered Armour as she walked out of the Armoury headed towards the Starboard Deployment Bay on the Wildlings' Troop Deck. On the Avalon, there were two Troop Decks, the upper one for the Wildlings and the lower one for the Magi. To the aft of the main sections of each of the Trooper areas of the Troop Decks was the Gym, located halfway between the two so the Wildlings went down half a deck to the Gym and the Magi went up half a deck. On the Port and Starboard side of each of the Troop Decks were the Deployment Bays, each bay a combination of the mustering area and launch tubes for an entire Platoon to make a drop. With each platoon deploying from their own Troop Deck, the Avalon could deploy its two platoons either together or to two separate locations. Theoretically the two platoons could be deployed from opposite sides of the Avalon, such as two separate asteroids as the Avalon passed in between them.

Using the special sequence as she walked, which she had been shown after joining the Wildlings, Hermione opened the small compartment on the inside right forearm of her Armour. She placed her wand into the narrow compartment and then closed the compartment. All Powered Armour had such a recess in each inside forearm, though they were only used by Fifth Battalion. In her lessons with the Navy Armourer, Hermione had learnt the inner workings of the Powered Armour and it had answered her questions as to how they worked around M Class personnel. There were cables made of a core of platinum, wrapped in a bundle of titanium and sheathed in rubber coatings. The platinum was a good 'magical conductor', while the titanium was magically neutral and the rubber sheath isolated the entire cable from any electronics cabling, which were almost identical except they had a copper core instead of a platinum core.

Entering the Starboard Deployment Bay, Hermione stood with sixth squad and glanced over at Harry standing with second squad. After Lieutenant Wildman had reviewed the Platoon, they loaded into their capsules, the main reason why the nickname for the MI was 'Cap Troopers'. Each capsule was a big steel egg that was big enough, just barely, for on MI Trooper in Armour and fully loaded, with the Trooper strapped in securely enough that all they could move was their head inside their helmets and their thumbs to use the few controls of the capsule itself.

Platoon Sergeant Skinner went through first section, first through third squads who were loaded into the 'left hand' launch tube, while Lieutenant Wildman went through second section, fourth through sixth squads who were loaded into the 'right hand' launch tube, securing each Trooper into their capsule, so in case of a tragedy the last face the Trooper saw was either the Platoon CO or XO. The Platoon Sergeant and Lieutenant were strapped in by a Navy crewmember into the tiny two capsule centre launch tube.

Hermione was strapped into her capsule when the Avalon's Captain came over the radio and wished them good luck. A moment later the sharp deceleration of the Avalon pushed them to the side and then came the two muted thuds, more felt through the capsule than really heard, of Lieutenant Wildman and Platoon Sergeant Skinner being shot out of the central launch tube, a slight pause then the 'autofire' of the two flanking launch tubes. A thump as a capsule being launched, then a jolt as the capsules moved up like bullets in a magazine. Hermione always was a little bit nervous when her capsule was in the launch tube, more from being unsettled by the situation being out of her control than any real fear, but with a final jolt her capsule moved into the 'chamber' and with explosive force she was shot out of the Avalon. The launch pushed Hermione into the back of the capsule, but the strapping and the design of the Powered Armour absorbed the majority of the extreme but brief acceleration pressure.

For a few moments, once the launch acceleration faded, Hermione was briefly in zero gravity before the gravity of the planet below began to slowly increase and press her 'down' and the outer skin of the capsule began to heat up, with the surface temperature showing up on in her helmet's display. The outer shell heated up with the friction of the atmosphere and sloughed off, causing the ride to get rougher as the airbrakes of the second shell bit into the atmosphere, before they too began to burn off. The burn was uneven so she began a lateral rotation as the last of the second shell disintegrated. The third shell had three parachutes, each designed to last progressively longer and to slow the capsule down. Once the three parachutes were spent, the third shell separated leaving Hermione in just her Armour and a small plastic shell, with a thin metal coating, that she was strapped into.

Taking a proximity reading through a sensor on the plastic shell, showing that she was still high enough that it was too early to get rid of the inner shell and the temperature reading was stable enough that the shell would not automatically open for a while. Hermione settled in to wait and another minute passed before her capsule was jarred badly, most likely by a near miss from anti-air guns, so she popped the manual release of the plastic shell. Shaped charges first blew the straps securing her to the shell and then blew the four sections of the shell away from her. The moment she was clear of the shell Hermione deployed the first parachute attached to her Armour to jerk her off the screens of whoever took the pot shot at her as they followed the rest of her capsule down, before she cut the chute loose so she did not draw attention from falling slower than everything else.

Rotating slowly around as she fell, she surveyed the surrounding sky. The Troopers, the remains of their capsule shells and the decoy shells of the Wildlings filled the sky around her. Far off to magnetic east, opposite the rising sun on this planet which rotated around its axis in the opposite direction of the Earth, there was a vague cloud high in the atmosphere which was the Magi making their own drop. Stopping her lateral spin, she flattened out face down to survey the landscape below. Spread out below was a city that covered several square kilometres, with very few of the buildings more than a single story. Most of the buildings were various configurations of prefabricated buildings. Taking a bearing from both the City Hall, the largest building at three stories; and the water processing plant on the northern edge of the city.

Having gained her bearings, Hermione body planed further to the east towards her operational area, a square eight city blocks per side that she was responsible for 'securing'. Once she was close to her operational area she pulled her second chute and glided into the centre of her area, using her jump jets to soften the landing. After cutting loose the second chute, she began to patrol her area, moving down the roads in long bounds. Orders were not to engage unless fired upon first as they were here to put down a seditionist movement that had been terrorising the locals.

The MI radio frequencies were relatively quiet, with radio discipline being tight amongst the Troopers, but all of the civilian frequencies were being flooded with broadcasts from the Avalon urging the civilian populous of the planet to stay inside and avoid the fighting wherever possible. While under normal circumstances Fifth Battalion would not be involved in putting down seditionists, these seditionists were Magical. These Magicals were all what the Pureblood Supremacists back in England would call 'mudbloods'. No Magicals has ever settled on this Planet and there was no evidence of any Squibs settling there either. Without any infrastructure or knowledgeable masters to teach these emerging Magicals how magic worked or their history, in an ironic turn, these new Magicals believed themselves to be superior to the rest of the colonists and they should rule, and to hell with anyone else.

In the hours that followed, Hermione patrolled her area, mixing up her search patterns to ensure that the intervals between her appearance in any given area was random. Eventually the order came to head for the rendezvous point for retrieval without Hermione encountering a single seditionist. She made her way to the retrieval boat and boarded with the rest of the Platoon. A quick glance around showed that there were some Troopers with slight damage to their Powered Armour, but all of the members of the Platoon were there.

In the moments before the retrieval boat's hatch closed, Hermione saw another boat had landed and a high ranking MI officer, a small bodyguard of MI Troopers and some Intel operatives exit the other boat, which was not from the Avalon. The retrieval boat lifted off and they were soon back aboard the Avalon, though Hermione did see a courier in orbit near the Avalon.

Hermione found herself still in the Armoury after all of the Wildlings had been helped out of their Armour, surprised at how tired she was considering that she had not been in any actual combat.

"Get some rest, Granger." Corporal Alyssa McGonagall said, making Hermione realise she had been staring at the wall.

"I'm still good to help." Hermione replied.

"We got no drops scheduled and all the damage is minor." Alyssa insisted. "Get some rest. We'll take care of it tomorrow."

With a slow nod, Hermione left the Armoury, grabbed a shower and then returned to her bunk room where Harry was laying on his bunk.

"How did your end go?" Harry asked.

"Nothing happened for me. You?" Hermione replied.

"I got to stand guard as First and Second squads stormed the insurrectionist base with the Lieutenant." Harry informed. "So much for our first Combat Drop."

"There'll be plenty more." Hermione said. "Unless you want to go home and marry Ginny."

Harry shuddered at the thought. Hermione turned out the lights and climbed into her bunk. Soon they were both asleep.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

A/N: I'm kind of surprised no one has noticed, but for the sake of a full disclaimer, Tara Maclay is from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I don't own her, though if Amber Benson (the actress who played her) wants to drop by for dinner, I would not be opposed to it.

* * *

Harry, Hermine and Alyssa sat down against the wall of the Armoury, Harry between the two girls, snacking on some sandwiches that Harry had brought with him. Harry was off duty while the girls were on a meal break. Harry and Hermione has been with the Wildlings for eight months and had participated in nine combat drops, including the first drop against the Magical Seditionists, and they had both been promoted to PFC (Private First Class). Even though the Federation was 'At Peace' it didn't mean there was no fighting. Seditionists, pirates, power hungry Planetary Governors.

While they got on well with almost all of the Platoon but they had become fast and best friends with Alyssa, so much so that they earned the nickname the 'Three Musketeers'. As Alyssa was in third squad, there was no conflict in the chain of command. A few months after their arrival the story of what Harry and Hermione had done before joining had spread around. Most of the Troopers just shrugged, because by that time they had been in combat so the Troopers thought the Drops were more important. Harry and Hermione had been a bit apprehensive about how Alyssa would react, as they had bad experiences in the past particularly with Ron Weasley. Alyssa had simply shrugged and told them that her favourite Great Aunt had told her all about them, as the Professor did with all her best students.

The Avalon was returning to Sanctuary for a resupply, mainly of Drop Pods for the MI but also to top up food supplies, so the MI were mostly on a stand down rotation. As they were finishing their sandwiches, Platoon Sergeant Skinner entered the Armoury, so they all scrambled to their feet.

"Potter, thought I would find you here." Skinner said. "LT wants to see you and Granger."

Harry and Hermione nodded and left for the LT's office. When they arrived, Wildman was sitting behind her desk doing paperwork. They both stood to attention and saluted, which Wildman returned.

"Reporting as ordered, Lieutenant." Harry said formally.

"Potter, Granger." Wildman acknowledged. "As you know, we are returning to Sanctuary for resupply. Command has ordered me to transfer one scout over to the Griffins on the Atlantis, that will be Private Kelly. With Svenson finishing his term, I'm going to be down two Scouts. Your Squad Leaders have observed that you are both observant and adaptive, so I am making you both Scouts. Granger, you'll stay with sixth squad to replace Kelly. Potter, I'm moving you to first squad to replace Svenson."

"Thank you Lieutenant." Harry replied. "Lieutenant, I would like to go Career."

"Me too, Lieutenant." Hermione added without hesitation.

Wildman looked over the two Privates, her face expressionless.

"Going Career is a big step." Wildman advised. "You not only are committing for twenty years, but there are some serious consequences for not doing your full twenty."

"I understand." Hermione replied.

"This is my family." Harry said.

Wildman stared at them for a moment and then opened her desk draw, pulled out some forms which she passed over to the two Privates. They reviewed and then signed the documents. Wildman called in Skinner to witness their Career Oaths and then dismissed them.

"So, what did the LT want?" Alyssa asked as they re-entered the Armoury.

"Kelly's being transferred and Svenson is Mustering Out when we reach Sanctuary, so we're the replacement Scouts." Harry replied with a shrug.

"Right, we'll get you both fitted on the way out after leave." Alyssa commented.

"Oh yeah, we both went Career." Hermione added.

"Welcome to the club." Alyssa said. "We're going out for dinner on Sanctuary."

Alyssa McGonagall was also a Career with four years under her belt.

* * *

Harry and Hermione were walking along the main entertainment strip of the settlement on the planet simply known as Sanctuary. The entire settlement was based around providing services for the Federation Base and entertainment for Military personnel on leave. The location of Sanctuary was a closely guarded secret known only to Navy Captains and Pilots, who were under post-hypnotic suicide compulsion if they were ever captured. The reason Sanctuary was so secret was because it was the main Naval, MI and Intelligence hub of the Federation outside of the Sol System itself.

Alyssa had left them ten minutes before, after their 'celebratory' dinner, leaving the pair to their own devices. The 'Strip' was designed to separate MI and Navy personnel from their pay in as painless a manner as possible. Restaurants, Bars, Brothels, gaming parlours and hotels. The businesses on the 'Strip' also did not ask questions and, unless there was a serious incident, almost anything went as long as it was consensual and those involved paid for any damages.

"Harry? Hermione?" a voice said from off to the side causing the pair to turn.

"Neville?" they said together.

Neville stood confidently, but not with the deadly grace of a Trooper, reminding them of the moment he killed Nagini during the Battle of Hogwarts. Neville was with a half dozen of his fellow Combat Engineers.

"Guys, this is Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, MI." Neville said to his mates. "I knew them from school. They inspired me to join up."

The Combat Engineers all insisted on shaking Harry and Hermione's hand. There was always a lot of respect for the CE by the MI. They may not be as good as the MI in combat, certainly they lacked a lot of the gear that the MI had such as Powered Armour, but they would either keep working as a fight raged around them or picked up weapons and pitched in besides the MI. It seemed that Neville was well respected by his mates, and they gently ribbed him when he declared that he was going to catch up with Harry and Hermione. The trio made their way into a nearby bar and sat in a quite booth and ordered drinks.

"So, have you got any news from home?" Neville asked. "My Gran never let me back in after I joined up."

"We had dinner with the Weasley's about eight months ago when we finished MI Basic." Hermione said. "Most of them were not happy with us. Bill and Fleur were fine. Luna was joining up as we deployed."

"I was in my last two months of training then. Combat Engineers only have an eight month basic." Neville said. "It would be interesting watching some of the more hidebound Officers trying to deal with Luna."

"Well she was going for Intel or R&D." Harry pointed out, which got them all laughing at the thought.

After a few hours of chatting, Neville went on his own way, back to the Barracks where his unit was stationed awaiting deployment, while Harry and Hermione made their way to a nearby hotel where they got a single room with a queen sized bed. They both bathed and changed into a pair of soft shorts and tank tops. They settled down into the bed with Harry's arms around Hermione. They would sometimes do the same in their room aboard the Avalon, but the beds there were too narrow for it to be comfortable.

It was not a sexual act, instead it was a comfort practice, one that had not started in the alpine survival test. Instead it had started during the Hourcrux Hunt after Ron had abandoned them. Just as they drifted off to sleep, Harry's hand slipped onto Hermione's breast.

TBC…


End file.
